Marco Polo Museum opened in Korcula

ZAGREB/KORCULA, 7.8.2012.

The Marco Polo Museum has been opened in the town of Korcula on the southern Adriatic island of Korcula to testify in an original way about the travels of the adventurer who visited in the 13th century a then faraway and unknown China.

As of August 7, visitors to the museum can pass through seven scenes which depict Marco Polo's life, thanks to first-rate scenery, hyper-realistic dummies and an audio guide, from his departure from Korcula through caravans in the desert to the court of Mongolian ruler Kublai Khan.

One of the scenes depicts a naval battle between the Genovese and Venetian fleets which took place off Korcula on September 7, 1298, resulting in Polo's capture. The story ends with his imprisonment in a Genoa dungeon, where he wrote his book "Il Milione".

The Grizli advertising company said the Chinese state network CCTV visited the museum and filmed a feature to be broadcast in China, where tourist interest in Croatia is growing.

More than HRK 2 million was invested in the museum, which was conceived by Rudolf Petrinec, an entrepreneur from Krizevci who visited the world's most famous museums.

Tickets for the museum cost HRK 60, while entry for Chinese tourists is free. (Hina)